IJT marches for student rights in Dir

LOWER DIR: A road caravan of IJT, the student organization of Jamaat-i-Islami On Wednesday, arrived from Upper Dir.

Hundreds of students from various educational institutions gathered at Timergara's Postgraduate College to greet the visitors. They marched ahead, carrying banners and posters, till they arrived to Gorgorai Chowk. At several spots, the caravan was greeted with open arms.

IJT central nazim Hamza Saddiqui, provincial nazim Kalimullah, JI district emir Izazul Mulk Afkari, and others spoke at the event, urging the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to quickly begin classes at the Timergara Medical College.

They also requested that the Dir engineering university be operational, that women be appointed to all female colleges, that co-education be abolished, and that student costs be reduced.

The road procession, according to IJT nazim Hamza Siddique, was organised to win students' rights. He stated that the caravan would proceed through all districts and end on November 17 with a students' convention in Islamabad.

For disadvantaged pupils, education has become an expensive commodity, according to the IJT leader. He believes the government should set aside 4% of its overall budget for education.

He also urged that the prime minister's reimbursement and laptop programmes be reinstated.

The road caravan subsequently arrived at Chakdara, where IJT nazim Hamza Siddique addressed the crowd, claiming that the government had failed to fulfil its commitment to boost the education budget.

The road caravan included a big number of IJT activists from the University of Malakand and other colleges.

Mr Siddique claimed that tribal pupils were still denied their rights after their territories were merged with the province.

He urged that the tuition fee increases of the previous three years be reversed.